<p>Hello, this is my first post so I'm going to present briefly my situation.</p>
<p>I came to the United States two years ago with my family thanks to a r-2 visa. Right now I'm in my senior year of college. When I talked to my counselor about possible financial aid for me, he told me that I am not eligible because of the visa I have. I can't change my visa to a student visa because my family is in process of renewing the r-2 visa. This situation worries me and i'm unsure what to do to pay college. Thanks for any suggestions. By the way, I live in Maryland, because I think the financial aid eligibility differs from state to state. Thanks again</p>
<p>For federal aid, and to file FAFSA online, you must be a US citizen or eligible permanent resident. An R2 visa does not give you permanent resident status so you are not eligible for federal aid. A student visa would not make you eligible either as student visas are also do not give permanent resident status.</p>
<p>You would need to ask the schools you are applying to if you qualify for any sort of institutional aid. I am not an expert in the area but I think you would be considered an international student. Federal aid eligibility does not vary from state to state. There may be some state aid that you may qualify for in your home state - you would need to check if it is available to non permanent residents.</p>